The report says the now-closed Capitol Oyster Bar on East South Boulevard is one of scores of Alabama restaurants hoping to settle claims or possibly file lawsuits against BP. Lewis and Karen Mashburn claim the oil spill was a direct cause of their closure, saying business declined 40 percent in the wake of the spill.

The Beasley Allen law firm will represent businesses throughout the state that claim they were damaged by the spill. The report says 1,600 business owners sought legal counsel; 150 of the businesses are restaurants.

Lewis Mashburn said in October he was doing everything he could to stay afloat as his business declined, including taking second jobs.

"That thing in the Gulf just killed me. I've got a seafood restaurant. Business died," Mashburn said last fall. "I just thought I could make a living."